Rear View
by Krillia
Summary: On a rainy night, Roy has Havoc stop at a bar while getting chauffeured back to his quarters. Preslash, Ep. 25 allusionsspoilers.


Disclaimer: Fullmetal Alchemist is copyright Arakawa Hiromu, Square Enix, Studio Bones and, in America, Funimation. No infringement or disrespect is intended by this non-profit work of fan fiction. This is a work of noncommercial amateur fan fiction; it is not published for profit or material gain. The author and the posters have no intent to infringe any intellectual property rights held by the owners of existing copyrights in Fullmetal Alchemist or its derivative works. The author retains copyright to this work.

**_Rear View_**

"Stop here."

Roy Mustang spoke the words as a command, not certain that his driver would listen to anything else. Havoc had a nasty habit of thinking his job included protecting Roy from the things that might be bad from him. Roy didn't notice it a lot, but sometimes it was pretty obvious. There were just moments when Havoc just took the initiative in stopping things that he perceived would hurt Roy. It seemed to be a feature in his lieutenants, that slightly annoying over-protectiveness. His shins and pride bore almost constant bruises, the payment for Hawkeye's special hands-on brand of vigilance. Havoc, on the other hand, was less direct, usually protecting him against less immediate threats. Roy didn't know why they kept doing these things. He thought he was a perfectly reasonable adult, and completely capable of making his own decisions. Relatively capable of protecting his own mental well-being, too, even if he needed a swift kick in the ass sometimes to remind him what was going on outside of his head. At the same time, Roy supposed it had something to do with why he'd chosen these particular lieutenants, along with their intelligence and talent. It was always good to have someone who truly gave a damn at your flank and back.

Indeed, the bright blue eyes that regarded him respectfully in the rear-view mirror weren't really all that respectful. "Here, Sir?"

Roy hid a smile behind the gloved hand he'd been resting his head on. So predictable. Just because it was nearly midnight and pouring rain outside. "Yes. I want a drink."

Havoc sighed, the sound barely audible above the sound of the engine and the rain that was clattering against the roof of the car, but he obeyed, pulling the car over to the side of the street. They sat in silence for a while, Roy carefully regarding the blue eyes that he sort of wished would just stop watching him in the mirror. He was supposed to be a presence. All powerful. He was going to rule the world, after all. Change the world and make it bearable. No one, especially not his subordinates – although he supposed if his superiors looked like that it would have been far, far worse – should be able to see through him so easily. He glared, finally, and Havoc shifted uncomfortably.

"Will you want the car again, Sir?" Havoc asked, breaking the disapproving silence, and Roy was baffled at the emotion in the voice. He wasn't quite sure what Havoc was thinking. He supposed he was being somewhat cruel to his lieutenant, who was technically still on duty until Roy dismissed him, and most likely wanted to go home. But Roy wasn't about to walk home in the pouring rain that beat down against the car and, further out, the sidewalk.

"Yes." He replied after careful consideration.

Havoc nodded, opening his door to walk around and let Roy out, but the other man took the initiative, figuring he could just as easily open his own door. Havoc shifted for a moment, trying to figure out what to do with himself after the thwarted attempt, then straightened and saluted. "Enjoy yourself, Sir."

Roy looked at him levelly. "Would you like to come with me?"

"Sir?"

"I can hardly leave you here, idling the car in the cold. It would be less than a man of me to do so." Roy said with a slight smirk. "So I would like for you to join me."

Havoc hesitated for a moment, then shrugged one shoulder in a familiar gesture. Roy smiled in a slightly distracted manner at the hesitation, although his attention was mostly on the damnably wet rain. Strange man, Havoc. Sometimes took duty and the nitpicky rules that came with it very seriously, and other times seemed to just not give the slightest damn in the world. But he was always around when it mattered, so Roy generally forgave the ambiguity.

Havoc suddenly shook himself, as though remembering something, and pulled open the front door of the car, reaching in to pick up the umbrella resting between the seats. He grinned sheepishly at Roy, opening and holding it out, partially over the top of the car. Roy looked at the umbrella, and then looked at Havoc with a raised eyebrow, amused by the oversight and Havoc's reaction. He had no doubt that if he were a woman, and Havoc was 15 years younger, the boy that Havoc would have been would have been scuffing his toes on the rug, looking at the ground and hoping the matter would go away. Roy thought for a moment, wondering if it would be worth it to say anything, and then decided just to let it slide. All he wanted was a drink. Well, okay, he also wanted the rain to stop. But that was out of his control, as dreadful as that was. He looked up at his lieutenant, who already had rain sheeting down his uniform, and shook his head. He might as well hurry before Havoc managed to get himself sick. After all, it would be inconvenient if the blond were to fall ill.

So Roy stood, ducking underneath the proffered umbrella and walking swiftly enough towards the bar door to hopefully prevent his lieutenant from becoming completely soaked. He was unable to skirt a deep puddle on the way to the door widely enough for both of them to avoid it, however, and Roy smiled to himself when Havoc swore under his breath as water splashed over his boots.

"I will not accept such inappropriate language from those under my command, Lieutenant Havoc." He said, swinging around to remain under the umbrella when Havoc predictably froze. The blondlooked at him with wide eyes, as he tried to decide if Roy was serious or not. Roy just looked at him gravely.

"I apologize, Sir." Havoc said. "But my pants got wet, and this is my newest uniform."

Roy cocked his head, looking up at the taller man's head, and then back down to his toes. Even with the water that was now beginning to stream down Havoc's shoulders, marring the look of the uniform, it did not seem to be in the best of condition.

"Perhaps you should take better care of your uniforms. Then a little water would not be so detrimental to their state."

Havoc blinked, and looked at him carefully for a moment before smiling with one side of his mouth. "Of course, Sir." He answered, the tone lighter than before, giving the impression that he understood that Roy was joking, albeit not very well. Roy sighed and jerked his thumb towards the door, resuming their short trek to the bar.

To Roy's relief, a brief survey of the place revealed relatively few people inside the bar. A half-dozen people were scattered around the place, including one father with his daughter, sitting at the bar. He stared at the pair for a long moment, but the girl seemed to be sitting quietly, so Roy supposed he could tolerate her presence. While Havoc shook out and closed the umbrella, Roy made his way over to the bartender. The man seemed surprised to see a member of the military in his bar, and Roy simply sat down on one of the stools, ordering his drink without display. Scotch. Straight up. Havoc followed a few moments later, and when the bartender looked at him curiously, ordered a simple ginger ale without ice.

When they had received their drinks, Roy examined the bar a little more closely. He had been in it once before, although that had been months ago. He barely remembered the place. The large room was dark, but fairly clean, with two doors. The first led outside, and the second opened onto a small stairwell which Roy assumed led to the housing for the proprietor. The bar took up the entire back wall, and about five smallish tables were located about the room. Nothing had changed since the last time he'd been in, so Roy set about looking at the people. One man, dozing in the back corner, seemed as though he had been hard set upon. A glass containing a few melting ice cubes sat before him, watering down the last drops of amber liquid inside. At the next table sat two young men, barely out of their teens. They were conversing quietly, but from time to time a louder bark of laughter would travel across the room. The last three people were all located at the bar. One man sat glaring at his drink and muttering something about how he wasn't about to be controlled by anyone, least of all a woman. He was drinking beer out of a tall glass. It seemed that it was not his first.

Lastly, the father and daughter that Roy had noticed before sat at the far side of the bar. From time to time, the father would glare disapprovingly at the muttering man, although with Roy between them, he seemed unwilling to look their way. Roy mentally sighed. It wasn't like the military would bring a curse upon their families. He wondered briefly why the pair was even in the bar. Perhaps they had simply come in to get out of the rain. They both had drinks, and the daughter's hands were wrapped around a large glass filled with a pinkish liquid. Roy guessed it was non-alcoholic and didn't have a clue what it could possibly be.

Looking at Havoc, seated next to him, Roy thought that that the lieutenant should have ordered one of what the girl was having. It would have amused him to see the tall blond man nursing a pink drink that could apparently be served to twelve-year olds in bars. The ginger ale was much less interesting, the same color as much of the alcohol served in any bar around the country. He wondered what Havoc would think if he was commanded to order one. Probably refuse. It wasn't exactly a valid order.

So Roy didn't stay anything, absently swirling the glass in his hand, watching the alcohol past the array on his glove. His sips were small, but rather more rapid in succession than was probably customary of the strong drink. He thought about little or nothing as he drank, gaze unfocused as he tried to release himself from the stress of the day. He didn't know why Havoc was so intent on not letting him in here. It had been several days at least since he'd consumed alcohol of any type. Havoc hadn't been the one to sit across from a dozen men twenty years older than himself and have to pretend that he didn't know more than they did; that he couldn't flatten them with a twitch of his hand. Infuriating, narcissistic diplomats. Somewhere in the middle of his thoughts, he finished his glass of scotch, the bartender instantly replacing it with another. He needed this. Normally he would be calling Hughes, reducing his own stress by yelling at the other man while he waxed eloquent and long over his daughter's newest inane achievement. But that wasn't an option anymore. His grip on the glass tightened unconsciously, and he raised the glass in a slight salute to the man who had once made the need for the desire of his lieutenants to take care of him unnecessary. Havoc's covert observation of him turned more concerned, but the blond said nothing. Forcibly wrenching his thoughts away from painful memories, Roy wondered briefly if he could make Havoc angst enough over his lost girlfriends to be able to yell at him. He took another sip as something inside him decided that he definitely didn't want Havoc talking about girlfriends, real or desired.

As Roy reached the end of his second glass, Havoc slid off his barstool, and Roy felt the warm weight of the blond's hand settle on his shoulder as Havoc leaned close to speak in his ear. "Sir, if you don't mind, I'm going outside to wait. I've been sick and this atmosphere isn't helping."

Roy nodded and waved a non-committal hand towards Havoc. The lieutenant straightened, throwing a few dollars on the bar for his lackluster, on-the-job approved drink and went outside, leaving Roy to finish his own drink.

Sitting, looking into the glass, wondering if he should finish it or just let Havoc take him home, Roy gradually reached a realization. Havoc hadn't been sick. He worked closely with the other man almost every day. He should know if Havoc was sick and the blond had shown no signs of weakness recently. In fact, he realized, he had been trying to prevent illness, less than an hour earlier. With that information, he reached a conclusion.

Havoc was doing that damn protective thing again. Trying to guilt him into leaving the bar by standing outside, helpless, in the rain. Roy smirked into his drink, proud of himself for figuring it out. Somehow, though, that wasn't changing his idea that he should probably finish this drink and leave. Roy snorted. At least he wasn't being manipulated without knowing it. He drained the last sip of his scotch, set the glass carefully on the table and waved the bar-tender over to settle his bill. Then he rose, and went to find his damnable, annoying, overly-protective lieutenant.

Havoc was leaning against the outside wall of the bar, enough under the alcove so that the rain didn't soak his uniform for a second time, and was taking slow drags from a cigarette that he held haphazardly between two fingers. He didn't look up at Roy exited, and Roy wasn't sure whether it was because Havoc wasn't expecting him so soon, or whether Havocwas expecting him to say something, and so didn't feel the need to move quite yet.

"You know," Roy remarked quietly. "Those aren't very good for you when you're sick, either." The tone was wry, letting Havoc know he'd been found out.

The blond took a deep drag, holding it in for a second before exhaling. He glanced over at Roy, blue eyes shining in the dim light. "Maybe not." He said. "But I needed a reason to leave, and you wouldn't have followed if I'd just came out to smoke."

Roy blinked at the blatant admission. Unexpected, to be certain. But not surprising, given the speaker. Havoc, for all his love ofcigarettes,tended to dislike smoke and mirrors. "You, Lieutenant Havoc, are becoming quite manipulative."

Havoc looked at him flatly. "What do you expect, Sir? I have to work with you all day, every day."

Roy hid his shock by grinning, and leaned back against the wall next to Havoc while he waited for the blond to finish his cigarette. "I suppose I should be happy that you're at least learning from the best."

Havoc lifted an eyebrow. "If you say so." He said, sarcasm heavily tainting his voice.

Roy thought over a set of responses, didn't find any of them quite fitting, and so instead remained silent, regarding Havoc while the blond took a final drag off his cigarette, and then reached back to grind the butt out against the wall behind him.

"Are you ready to go back now, sir?" Havoc asked, and the umbrella was once again situated over Roy's head.

Roy remained silent, long enough that Havoc looked at him oddly. "Sir?"

Roy sighed. He'd lost count of just how many times he'd sighed that night, and cocked his head back to look up at the taller man. He was still wound tightly, and the alcohol didn't seem to have helped with the stress any. But at least he was warmer then before, and the rain seemed to have lessened slightly while they were inside. Or maybe that was his imagination. Then he quirked one side of his mouth up into a grin, and nodded.

Havoc regarded Roy with the same curious, slightly concerned expression for a bit longer, then shoved himself away from the wall. They walked in silence, Havoc the proper half-step behind Roy, displaying behavior as was fitting to his rank. Amusing, given that Roy was quite certain that Havoc generally didn't display behavior at all fitting to his rank. Roy waited while the blond opened the door, and a few moments later he found himself once again regarding Havoc's smoke-blue eyes in the mirror. They concentrated on the road as the car pulled away from the curb, but shifted to look back at Roy once they were on the road.

"Do you want something, Lieutenant?" Roy asked after several minutes, when it seemed that Havoc was just going to continue to stare at him instead of the road the entire night. Havoc smiled slightly.

"It just seems like the rain is slowing down, Sir. Do you want me to drive around until it stops?"

Roy started slightly at the entirely unexpected question. Havoc might try to protect him, but he generally wasn't quite that observant. He left being observant to Hawkeye, for the most part. Havoc tended just to exist. Sometimes more quietly than others, although he was often quite loud, but as a general rule, Havoc wasn't observant. Roy figured he would have to be more careful in the future, if Havoc was figuring these things out.

Roy dropped his head against the back of the seat, breaking the illusionary eye-contact with the mirror.

"Just take the long way back." Roy said, quietly. "It should have let up by then."

Havoc nodded once, and then they were pulling away from the curb. Roy picked his head up once they were on the road, observing Havoc now that the blond had stopped watching him. He tilted his head back against the rear seat and closed his eyes slightly, trying to focus on the sound of the motor and ignore the steady, persistent beat of the raindrops against the car roof. It felt odd to be this unguarded, but Havoc had proved himself worth trust more than once, and so Roy forced the doubt out of his mind, concentrating on the warmth of the car, protecting him from the rain. Under his eyelashes, he also couldn't help but notice the still slightly concerned warmth in the eyes of his lieutenant, reflected as they were in the rear view mirror.

_**End**_

A/N: I think I just wrote fluff. Odd. Anyway, as always, C&C is very much appreciated.


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